Apr 04

Happy Easter!

 

 

Easter symbolizes the renewal of life. I wish you and your family the renewal of life, love, and happiness.

 

Mar 01

The Music Man

 

 

A few years ago TCM was doing 31 Days of Oscars.  I first sort of noticed this when I looked ahead in the scheduling and noticed that all TCM shows were alphabetized.  At first, I thought maybe that this scheme was some sort of placeholder before I realized what they were doing. Personally, I preferred when 31 Days grouped films by nomination category, by studio or by actor. Alphabetical is easy for them but hard on me, looking through every entry to see what to record.

 

Saturday, we were up to the M’s and Tivo faithfully recorded (The) Music Man.  When I watched it on Sunday, I was most pleased to realize that I remembered all the words.

 

 

Remembering all the words is no small feat.

I first started collecting records (yes, records!) of musicals when I was in high school in Springfield, MA.  Our library had an outstanding record collection, but I could only check out one (or 2?) at a time.

I would bring my record(s) home, and listen to them like crazy.  Then I’d save my allowance and any work money I had and go to the local department store to buy my favorites.   I always bought musicals and they were nearly Original Broadway Cast.  Years later, I still have all these records, even though I usually listen on Spotify or on one of my carefully curated playlists. (I also can’t listen to any of the music out of order.)

As the years roll by, many of these musicals, like The Music Man, have gone on to become films.  I am not usually a happy camper when the music is changed from what I remember of the OBCs and the film, but The Music Man film made the cut for me  🙂

 

 

Feb 22

My Ringtone: Scotland the Brave

blackwatch-pipers


“Scotland the Brave” (Scottish Gaelic: Alba an Àigh) is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.

My cellphone ringtone is Scotland the Brave. At any event or rehearsal, everyone knows it’s my phone, if one is ringing 🙂  I posted a bit about that here: http://maryoblog.com/2015/08/

Below, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards pipes and drums perform Scotland The Brave, The Black Bear and Highland Laddie on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. In typically inclement Scottish weather, the Pipes and Drums were performing to mark the release of their second album Spirit of the Glen: Journey. Part of this album was recorded when the regiment was on active service in Iraq.

 

 

 

A view of the amazing Scottish country taken from across Scotland.

 

 

I had no idea that there were lyrics and I’ve never heard anyone singing them but here they are:

Hark when the night is falling
Hear! Hear the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down thro’ the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping,
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.

Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.

High in the misty Highlands,
Out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat
Beneath Scottish skies.
Wild are the winds to meet you,
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines from fair maiden’s eyes.

Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.

Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Yearning to feel the kiss
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.

Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.

Feb 15

Happy Presidents’ Day!

Today is President’s Day, a combo of holidays for George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays, making a new Monday holiday.

These days people don’t seem to celebrate much except for having car and furniture sales.

When I was a kid, we lived in a small town (Pawcatuck, CT and Westerly, RI are sister towns, virtually interchangeable with each other).

Our combined town celebrated George’s birthday with cherry pies.

All the kids went around to the stores, and even bars!, and collected Table Talk pies.

I would come home with piles of the pies – which I loved and is still my favorite today.

As far as I remember, no one did anything for Abe’s birthday 🙁

I have mentioned this quirky event to several others and nobody has heard of giving away cherry pies like this on any holiday.

But everyone I’ve asked wishes that it still happened!

Feb 14

International Book Giving Day

book-giving-day-infographic

 

Some of you may know that I’m involved in Little Free Library (LFL) and is a library on my street under the auspices of the O’Connor Music Studio.

When our son is home for a visit, we always go out on a hiking trail with the dog, Mimi, and sometimes my mom.  On one occasion, we saw a LFL in the middle of a trail and thought someone made it themselves.

Then there was another another one…

DS knew I was fascinated by this whole idea and ordered one for me for Christmas in 2016.

I have found one other in our neighborhood, outside the swimming pool.

 

 

In the meantime, don’t forget to celebrate International Book Giving Day today.

 

From http://bookgivingday.com/

You’ve heard about International Book Giving Day. You love the idea. You’ve got some great quality books. What next?

This fabulous infographic (above) has been created by Jo Ebisujima – Jojoebi, one of the IBGD team, to help you solve that very quandary.

Share your plans on social media using #bookgivingday

Feb 14

Happy Valentine’s Day

greetings-valentines-day-animated

 

Have a special day today!

 

 

 

 

Feb 12

Happy Chinese New Year!

 

Our wonderful daughter-in-law is Chinese, so we are celebrating, too.

This is the Year of the Ox.  The Ox (牛) is the second of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and also appears in related calendar systems. 

Countries that observe Lunar New Year often offer three to seven days of public holidays but celebrations aren’t complete until the 15th day of the first lunar month, also known as the Lantern Festival. (Lunar New Year in 2021 lasts from February 12 to February 26.)
 
Families tend to have different sets of rules and traditions, but most will bless each other with auspicious words like “san tai gin hong” or “shen ti jian kang” (wish you good health).
 
During normal times, when people aren’t in lockdown, they’re expected to visit relatives and friends during the festival — except for the third day of the month. Day three of Lunar New Year (which falls on Valentine’s Day this year) is named chi kou, or red mouth. It is believed that arguments are more likely to happen on this day so people will visit temples and avoid social interactions.

 

 

 

Feb 11

Washington Pipe Band Plays For Sean Connery

Washington Pipe Band Plays For Sean Connery from Toby Dodd on Vimeo.

 

This video just came up on my Facebook feed this morning but I hadn’t seen it before.  Even though Washington is misspelled, this is still a fantastic performance for Sean Connery in 1999.

 

 

Sean Connery was honored at the Kennedy Center for lifetime achievements. The music consists of the Washington Pipe Band, Alasdair Fraser, Davidson School of Scottish Dance, Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis.

Jan 27

Happy Anniversary, 2021!

Another anniversary rolls around, the 48th, to be exact.  

I always like to check out this picture of our wedding expenses.  We have it framed and sitting on our mantle.

Tom paid $50.46 (blood tests and wedding ring!) and my costs (I made my own dress) were $29.25.

We were lucky.  My dad was the minister at the Barre (MA) Congregational Church so he didn’t charge us to perform the service.  The women of the church provided the reception in the parsonage.  My mom chipped in the flowers.

Well worth the cost!

Barre Congregational Church

Our honeymoon was in upstate New York so Tom could look for a job.  My only memories of that trip were the snow coming in under the door of our motel and Tom not getting a job.

After that, we drove back to Boston where we rented the bottom floor of my mother-in-law’s house.  In Dorchester, many of the homes were triple deckers and families could have one, two or three floors.

This isn’t where we lived, but a very similar look to her house.

We got all moved in and painted everything (we decided to paint my sewing room a cheery yellow.  The walls just sucked in the yellow paint and we had to use many, many coats). So, Tom got a job in Washington, DC.

So, we packed up and found a small apartment in Alexandria, VA.

That apartment was so small…when my parents came to visit, they slept on cots in the living room with their feet under my newly-acquired piano.

Then we moved to Holmes Run Parkway (also in Alexandria), Silver Spring, MD, Wilmington, DE, and finally settled in Fairfax, VA.

Eight years ago to celebrate our anniversary, Tom had a heart attack.  I wrote a lot about that here: https://maryomedical.com/2017/01/27/giving-thanks-day-3/

I am hoping for a nice, quiet day today!

Jan 20

Fun with Palindromes

 

Happy Palindrome Day! For 10 consecutive days, from 1-20-21 to 1-29-21, the date is read the same forwards and backwards in the month-day-year format.

Today, 1-20-21, is the first palindrome-number Inauguration Day in American history!

 

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